A thousand years of history

On our way back from France we are spending a few days in North Yorkshire with my cousins. Today was devoted to things monastic. This view encompasses almost a 1000  years of history:
 
The wire horse is modern. 

Down in the valley are the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey which was founded in 1132 by twelve monks from Clairvaux Abbey as a mission for the colonisation of the north of England and Scotland. It was the first Cistercian abbey in the north. 

We are standing on the grass covered, 18th century Rievaulx Terrace which follows a serpentine course across the side of a wooded escarpment overlooking the ruins of the abbey. At either end of the terrace stands a mid-18th "temples". At the south-east end of the terrace is the domed Doric or Tuscan Temple. At the opposite end stands the Ionic Temple, inspired by the Temple of Fortuna Virilis in Rome. It was used as a banqueting house and the central table is still set as if for a meal. It is decorated with elaborate ceiling paintings and is furnished in the period style.